01x10 - Episode 10

[bunniefuu]

THIS IS FICTION WITH NO INTENTIONAL RESEMBLANCE
TO ANY PERSONS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR OCCURRENCES.

OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SOURCE MATERIAL, THERE MAY BE
SCENES CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE TO MODERN SENSIBILITIES.

H-Hey!

That's bad table manners!

We don't want carrots!

And I hate green peppers!
I just want the meat!

Me, too!

No veggies! Don't want 'em!

All this when we came
to such a nice restaurant...

What a pair of selfish brats.

I'm gonna go let them have it.

Don't you dare, stupid!

What are you thinking?!
Get back in the kitchen!

I'm going to make a vegetable dish

that even children
who hate veggies will eat.

What the hell is that?

Did she blend something in there?

Wow, what a lovely color.

It's from carrots.

What? It's from carrots? Really?

She put them through a blender

and kneaded the juice into the
noodle dough instead of water.

This is the dish you've been
working on every night...

You can do this, Kiriko.

I have to win.

This is the best, most heartfelt
noodle dish I can prepare...

My shanhumian!

And that's time!

Thus ends the cooking for the final round!

Heya, it turned out perfect.

No one can beat my cooking!

I've done everything I can
and made no mistakes.

Our three competitors have poured
their all into these noodle dishes!

But what will the judges say?!

The little b*stard made it to the finals.

Akiyama Jan...

I arranged this tournament to give you
the boot from the culinary world.

So why the hell're you still here?!

And now, let the judging begin!

First up is Celene Yang's dish!

- HANSHI SHUJIN MIAN, KOREAN-STYLE CRYSTAL
NOODLES: RAVIOLI IN KOREAN-STYLE SAUCE

- My hanshi shujin mian!

- It's ravioli in a Korean-style sauce.

- Served with an aperitif. Enjoy.

This is like serious European cuisine.

The color and presentation
are both novel...

The wrapper is made from
a dough of seven parts starch,

two parts noodle flour,
and one part wheat flour.

The starch makes it transparent,

which is where the "crystal noodle"
name comes from.

This transparency, this elasticity...

I've never had noodles like this
in Chinese food before!

I can smell the sea!
These must be noodles with squid ink.

The chew reminds me
of cold Korean konjac noodles.

The slight sweetness
of the fresh minced shrimp

is really making the most
of this sweet and spicy sauce.

Using gochujang in a Chinese dish
is certainly something new!

It's got such a distinct shape, too.

It looks like Italian ravioli.
Very creative.

The presentation is as refined and pretty
as you'd expect from nouvelle chinois.

An innovative dish in terms
of color, shape, and flavor!

What a bright, joyful plate.

You could call this international Chinese
that knows no borders.

Next is Akiyama Jan's dish!

This is my daoxiaomian,

- served in sauce three ways:
roupian lu, zha jian, and sanxian lu.

- ROUPIAN LU:
PORK AND SOY-FLAVORED SAUCE

- ZHA JIAN:
SAUCE MADE FROM TIAN MIAN JIAN

- SANXIAN LU: SAVORY SAUCE
WITH POULTRY, CRAB, AND SHRIMP

Try whichever you'd like.

Well then...

Remarkable!

This is good!

It certainly is.

The amount of water in daoxiaomian dough

will vary based on
temperature and humidity.

If not kneaded correctly,
its firmness and flavor can suffer.

But this was expertly done!

The three different sauces
were a good idea as well.

The thin ends of the noodles

grasp the flavors of the sauce
and don't let go.

But the thick center portion lets you
enjoy the noodles themselves.

Akiyama never ceases to surprise.

You guys are just sad.
You don't get it at all.

Er, excuse me?

What? What are you talking about?

This is a noodle battle.

Which means this is a contest
of our noodles' umami, doesn't it?

So last up, try this.

What's on 'em?

That black liquid...

Go on!

Is that...

Sho-san, wait.

Th-This... This aroma!

The aroma...?

Yes, this is it! This smell!

I remember! I remember now!

These noodles...

These noodles smell just like
Chinese nature!

I-Is something the matter, Sho-san?

What in the world?

It's the black vinegar.

B-Black vinegar?

That daoxiaomian's got black vinegar
from Shanxi Province on it.

So that's the black liquid?

Sho-san's from Shanxi.

The black vinegar is probably
sending him back in time.

Exactly! That's Shanxi black vinegar.

And not just any kind,
but a secret Akiyama vintage!

Go on, try it!

This is...

It's like the embodiment
of traditional flavors!

Deeply rich! With a mellow sourness!

Who knew that daoxiaomian in black vinegar

would produce such a profound flavor?

It's like tasting the air and land of
Shanxi Province in China with every bite.

Magnificent! This is magnificent!

You guys get it now?
Noodles are just flour.

And it's black vinegar that brings out

the ultimate sweetness
and umami of wheat flour!

This is my daoxiaomian!

Kiriko, you're up next.

Show me what this
"cooking with heart" can do.

Last is our third contestant,
Gobancho Kiriko and her dish!

Thank you very much.

- HONGSHANHU MIAN JUAN:
RED CORAL-COLORED COLD NOODLES

- Hongshanhu mian juan,
red coral-colored cold noodles.

Please enjoy them with
the dipping sauce provided.

Now that is striking! It's served
upon a beautiful ice sculpture!

- Gobancho is demonstrating
some incredible talent!

- Wow!

- It's beautiful!

I was wonderin' why her
prep was taking so long.

She whipped up that thing?!

An ice sculpture...

Yeah, she's always been particularly
good with that crafty stuff.

And now, to taste the dish!

This was prepared in a way
that makes it easy to eat.

Vegetables and meat wrapped in noodles,
neatly picked up with chopsticks.

And these orange noodles...

Let's see...

I see! It has that unique carrot aroma.

And the bundles are a perfect
balance of meat and veg inside!

Very creative! And a dish
suited to modern sensibilities.

The beta-carotene in carrots is hot
in the health food scene right now.

The filling is char siu,
beef tongue with soy sauce...

Plus sliced cucumber, carrots, and onions.

This beef tongue wasn't just
cooked in lushui, either.

- MEIGUI LU JIU--A TYPE OF CHINESE
LIQUOR WITH THE SCENT OF JAPANESE ROSES.

- I detect the delicate,
flowery smell of meigui lu jiu.

I'm more surprised with
this dipping sauce she made.

This base is just dried
shiitake and cabbage!

Yet it still has an incredibly
deep flavor.

Talk about a shocker!

A sauce of primarily vegetable stock?

Wait, did she make bouillon de légumes?!

That's the kind of sauce that's become
all the rage in French cuisine lately!

And she went for that?

This is the kinda delicate work
I'd expect from a young lady.

There's no visible sign
of veggies in this sauce,

but you can get the
full impact of their umami.

And it's a wonder how such a
thoroughly vegetarian sauce

can really bring out the
deliciousness of the beef tongue!

You outdid yourself!

Thank you.

Damn it, I gave some genuine praise there.

- And it's served on a traditional
piece of art, bing diao.

- BING DIAO

- Being used to serve up a stylish
piece of cuisine like shanhumian

with jingjin soup for a sauce...

Every individual element
is honed to a fine edge,

all coming together vividly
and coherently.

The only word that
comes to mind is brilliant!

Just what I'd expect from the next
generation of Gobancho's.

For a chef so young to achieve
something like this is stupendous.

Well, Akiyama?

This is how I cook with heart.

And so, in addition
to our twelve regular judges,

we've now concluded the tasting
by our 100 audience judges.

Please cast your vote for the chef
whose dish you enjoyed the most!

We'll start out with the scoring
by the audience members!

Each vote is worth one point!

If you'll turn your eyes
to the scoreboards,

we're about to see some amazing numbers!

Who's going to take the early lead?!

Wow, would you look at that?!
The difference is razor-thin!

What a remarkable turn of events!

Just what we'd expect from the finals!

These chefs are on near-equal footing!

Who did you expect
to come out on top, Head Chef?

All of the dishes looked amazing.

But I'd say Jan's was remarkable,
even considering that.

To get a score like that
in spite of everyone hating him...

Plus, one of the judges even
broke into tears when he tried it.

Jan might think of cooking
as a competition,

but he's totally capable of
cooking that can touch the heart!

All three of them did great work.

But one of them... One of them made
a dish at a decisive disadvantage.

Huh? Wh-What's that?

Whoever could figure out what kind of dish
the judges wanted here in the final...

That should be what
determines the winner.

- FIRST ANNUAL ALL-JAPAN
CHINESE COOK CHAMPIONSHIP

- Now for the scores
from our panel of twelve judges!

But this chef was cooking
without giving that any thought!

Our three chefs came out of the audience
judging almost evenly matched.

The numbers are adding up
at a dazzling pace!

But what will the result be?!

In first place is Gobancho Kiriko!

Her total score is 124!

That's a big one!

Yes!

Next up is Celene Yang!

Her total score is... 93!

What the hell?
My dish got outdone by Kiriko-chan's?

And last is Akiyama Jan's score...

W-Would you look at that?!

Just 33?!

Akiyama Jan scores a mere 33 points!

His score hasn't budged
since the audience vote!

Not a single judge gave Akiyama's
daoxiaomian even one point!

Akiyama Jan is in a distant third place!

I thought as much.

You did?! How did this happen, Head Chef?

What the hell?!

Explain that score!

One of of you pricks
better have a good answer!

Akiyama...

He doesn't get it after all.

How could I get zero points?!

Would you get a hold of yourself?
This display is pitiful.

Your daoxiaomian was severely lacking
compared to the other two dishes.

Don't you understand that?

How the hell could I?!

I know my daoxiaomian was good!

I made better-tasting noodles
than either of them!

You guys admitted that!

They were good, yes.

Your daoxiaomian tasted incredible.

The noodles, the three sauces...
Everything was first-rate.

But that was all.

What you did was take a dish
that others have made

and prepare it better than anyone else.

And nothing more than that.

What?!

There's no youthfulness in your dish.

No creativity. No progress.

It embodies a superlative
but preexisting set of skills.

Daoxiaomian might be one
of the greatest noodle dishes,

but you've done nothing more
than uphold that tradition.

Where is your originality?

We wanted to taste a noodle dish
that was uniquely your own.

The other two competitors
didn't make that mistake.

They cooked distinct dishes.

Yang's hanshi shujin mian was like
an encounter with something brand new.

But it was, sadly, too new.

Something like this gaining acceptance
will likely be a gradual process.

And the fact that you used gochujang,
not found in Chinese cuisine,

was pushing the rules a bit far,
which ended up costing you points.

I'd say the other mark against you
was your ground ingredients.

It seems you used a food processor,

but I think you would've been better off
using a knife and dicing them by hand.

These guys were really
watching the whole process, huh?

Then there's Gobancho Kiriko's
hongshanhu mian juan.

Beautifully presented while reflecting
Chinese cuisine's belief in balanced diets

in a way that suits modern sensibilities,
all via a remarkable dose of imagination.

Nutritious, easy to eat, and delicious.

It was a perfect dish where you
could taste the care for the diner.

The essence of this cooking showdown
was the creativity in your noodle dishes!

Your dish did not display any thought
for the future of Chinese cuisine.

And that is why you lost.

It's not as simple
as making a better-tasting dish.

Do you understand, Akiyama-kun?

Congratulations, Gobancho!

Thank you.

How did you come up
with a dish like that?!

It's something I would've never thought
of if I considered cooking a competition.

I consider cooking to come from the heart.

My hongshanhu mian juan was conceived

as a way to help children
who dislike vegetables

understand how good they can be.

Suck on that, Akiyama!

You lose!

And you deserve it!

A piece of sh*t cook like you

shouldn't have even
made it to the final!

L-Ladies and gentlemen!
Please don't throw your trash!

Please stop!

Yes, here we go!
This is what I was after!

The entire crowd's against you now!

I gotta capitalize on this...

Serves you right, Akiyama!

You rotten chef!

"Cooking's a competition," huh?!
Look how stupid you are!

You should quit cooking!

Do you see now, Akiyama?

No one will ever accept
a wicked chef like you!

You sent the judges to the hospital
with your poisonous mushroom soup

and relied on your technical edge
to undercut other chefs!

All cowardly tricks!

A chef like you who will use
any means possible to win

is the worst kinda chef there is!

And the score proves it!

The heavens brook no evildoers.

That's somethin' the folks
in the audience can all vouch for!

Ain't that right, ladies and gents?!

You tell him, Otani!

That's exactly right!

Tell him off again!

Now run off with your tail between
your legs, you mad dog of a chef!

That's right!

- Get out, Akiyama!

- Damn you, Otani...

Get lost!

- Go home! Go home! Go home!

- This has turned real nasty.

- Go home! Go home! Go home!

- Akiyama... you can't cook just to win.

- You make it for the sake
of the person eating it!

- Go home! Go home! Go home!

- If you cook just to win, you're
going to make enemies out of everyone.

- How can you not understand that?!

- Go home! Go home! Go home!

- Oh, I got him good.

- This is just deserts
for makin' me look a fool!

Go home! Go home! Go home!

- Nobody screws with Otani Nichido!

- Go home! Go home! Go home!

- Ah, this is exquisite!

- Go home! Go home! Go home!

- I've never felt better!

Go home! Go home! Go home!

I lost! I lost!

I lost... Akiyama-style cooking lost!

The scars on my back, the embodiment
of the old man's obsession and mine...

I've brought shame on it! I've made
a mockery of Akiyama-style cooking!

I'm so ashamed! I want to vanish!

Damn!

Damn! Damn!

Damn!

Damn it! Damn it!

Damn it! Damn it!

Damn it all!

I have to say...
I didn't expect that outcome.

Indeed.

I'm gonna go check on Jan.

I hope he's okay...

He's not used to losing.

COMPETITOR WAITING ROOM

Wh-What happened in here?!

Wh-What's with your back...?

And...

Blood...

I get it.

Jan...?

Okonogi.

Kiriko-san?

What's wrong?

Uh...

Jan's... gone nuts.

That's it! An Akiyama can never lose!

Akiyama...

- FIRST ANNUAL ALL-JAPAN
CHINESE COOK CHAMPIONSHIP

- It's almost time for the second stage.

I wonder what kind of
desserts we can expect.

Akiyama,

you exposed how devoid of originality
you are with that noodle dish.

He's not gonna be able to come up
with anything for dessert.

Akiyama, you should stay out of this.

You can't risk getting even more damaged.

Just withdraw. It's what's best for you.

It's nearly time for the competitors
to enter the arena.

R-Right.

Kinda doesn't matter if Akiyama
shows up anymore, huh?

With the score he had,
he don't pose any kinda threat.

That means you're my
only target, Kiriko-chan.

Akiyama?!

Cooking is a contest!

You two and the judges...

I'm gonna make a bloody mess of you all.

EPISODE 10: THE JUDGES' FOCUS